He sang softly, never quite matching our pitch, and Theo reached for him with both hands afterward.

Frank scooped him up, laughing so hard that his hearing aids whistled.

I had wondered whether the year would leave us permanently afraid.

There were still difficult mornings and legal arrangements to manage.

But that afternoon, watching my uncle dance with a toddler in a backyard, I felt joy without waiting for it to be taken away.

Later, when everyone had gone, I found Frank sitting on the porch with the lighter in his palm.

“Do you still wish you hadn’t shown it that day?” I asked.